Shade support for portable electric lamps



June 1930' M. B. BOWEN 1,766,975

SHADE SUPPORT FOR PORTABLE ELECTRIC LAMPS Filed Aug. 20, 1929 INVENTOR MICHAEL B. BOWEN d'Qa-g ATTORN EYS Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE MICHAEL B. BOWEN, OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 'IO RABIES MANITFACTURING COMPANY, OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS SHADE SUPPORT FOR PORTABLE ELECTRIC LAMPS Application filed August 20, 1929. Serial No. 387,189.

My invention is designed as an improvement on that class of portable lamps provided with a standard having an outwardly extending arm, which is usually pivoted so as to assume various angles relative to the standard, in any usual or well known mannor. The arm carries a lamp socket of standard construction, to which may be fitted an electric lamp bulb, the lamp bulb being enclosed by a shade which is'provided with a slot which is designed to span the arm. To the shade is secured a pair of metal plates, having V-shaped guides thereon, adapted to engage V-shaped grooves formed in the plate carried by the arm It is well known that it is very difficult to obtain anything like uniformity in the manufacture of the glass of which the shades are usually and preferably made, without having topcrform a considerable grinding operation. As a result, it becomes quite expensive to make these shades uniform, and even when they are substantially uniform it is found very difficult to provide for the inequalities in the glass itself. These inequalities distort the guide-forming plates, so that the shade is not always held horizontal, as the inequalities in the glass twist one of the plates so that the holes drilled in 30 the two plates are not in register, thus nocessitating considerable handwork in fitting the guide-forming members accurately.

My invention has for its object, to provide a construction which will most effectively remedy these difficulties; and to provide a shade support which will be capable of quick and easy mounting upon a shade, and which, regardless of inequalities or irregularities in the glass, will hold the shade horizontal, and in which the compression exerted by the tightening of the screws will serve not only to tighten the two plates on to the shade, but will also draw the shade into a horizontal position.

My means for accomplishing the foregoing objects may be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, which are hereto annexed and are a part of this specification, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a portable lamp and shade, the shade being shown in section and equipped with my improved shade holding device;

Fig. 2- is an enlarged detail view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section, taken on the line 33 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4: is a rear elevation of my improved shade holding device; and j Fig. 5 is a sectional view, taken on the line 55 in Fig. 4;.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the entire description.

As shown inthe drawings, the portable lamp illustrated is provided with a base 1 and a standard 2, on which is an arm 3, which is providedwith a suitable adjustment for varying the position of a shade 4 with relation to the standard 2. This shade 4 is provided with a slot 5, indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, having arcuate edges to which are fitted two plates 6 and 7.

The plate 6 is formed with a curved shoulder 8, adapted to engage the edges of the slot 5 in the shade 4:. The central portion of the plate 6 is cut away, forming an archlike opening 9, the sides of which are adapted to receive V-shaped tongues 10, stamped out of the plate 7 and adapted to t a V-shaped groove 11 formed in the edges of a guide-plate 12, secured to the arm 3 of the lamp. v

The plate 7 is formed with a peripheral flange 13, which covers the edges of the opening or slot 5 in the shade 4, togive a more finished appearance. The central portion of plate 7 is cut away to form an arch like opening, the vertical edges thereof being formed into V-sliaped tongues 10 On the lower edge of the plate 7 on either side of the arch-like opening in its central portion, I form' an inwardly extending flange or shoulder 15, the part thereof adjacent the vertical'portion of the plate 7 being in the form of an inclined plane 16, the remaining portion 17 being horizontal.

Threaded apertures are provided in the plate 6 to receive screws 18, adapted to register with apertures 19 formed in the plate7, throughwhich the screws 18 pass.

The result of this construction is, that when plates 6 and 7 are placed in position, the bottom edge 20 of the shade 4 will rest upon the horizontal portion 17 of the shoulder 15 of the plate 7, and as the screws 18 are tightened, the shade 4 will be drawn up on to the inclined portion 17 and will be held horizontal all the time, regardless of the irregularities in the edges of the glass shade 4 adjacent the slot 5.

Having described my invention, what I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A shade holder, comprising two plates having arch-like openings formed therein, means to hold said plates together, parallel V-shaped guides on the edges of said openings, and means on the lower edge of one of said plates to hold a shade in horizontal position.

2. The combination, with a shade, of a shade holder, comprising two plates having arch-like openings formed therein, one of which is shaped to conform to the configuration of the shade, means to hold said plates together, parallel V-shaped guides, on the edges of said openings, and means on the lower edge of one of said plates to hold said shade in horizontal position.

3. The combination, with a shade having a slot formed therein, of a shade holder, comprising two plates having arch-like openings formed therein, means to hold said plates together and clamp the edges of the r; slot in the shade therebetween, parallel V- shaped guides on the edges of said openings, and means on the lower edge of one oi? said plates to hold said shade in horizontal po sition.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination, with a lamp, of a standard, an arm pivoted thereon carrying-an illuminating element, a plate carried by the arm, V-shaped guides formed on the vertical edges of said plate, a shade, having an areuate slot therein, a pair of plates adapted to clamp the edges of said slot, one of said plates being provided with a grooved shoulder fitted to the edge of said slot and having an arch-like opening in its central portion, the other of said plates having a peripheral flange which covers the edges of said slot and abuts the wall of said shade,

V-shaped tongues formed on one of said plates, which extend into the arch-like opening formed in the other of said plates, adapted to fit the grooves in theedges of the plate carried by the arm, shoulders formed on the bottom of one of said pair of plates, said shoulders having an inclined portion and a horizontal portion, and means to clamp said pair of plates together, whereby said shade is held in a horizontal position.

5. The combination, with a portable lamp,

of a plate mounted thereon, having V-shaped guides formed in its vertical edges, a shade, having a slot therein, a pair of plates adapted to clamp the edges of said slot, one of said plates being provided with a curved shoulder fitted to the edge of said slot and having an arch-like opening in its central portion, the other of said plates having a peripheral flange which covers the edges of said slot and abuts the wall of said shade, V-shaped tongues formed on one plate, which extend into the arch-like opening formed in the other plate, said tongues being fitted to the grooves in the edge of the plate carried by the arm, shoulders formed on the bottom of said second plate, said shoulders having an inclined portion and a horizontal portion, and means to clamp said pair of plates together, whereby said shade is held in a horizontal position.

MICHAEL B. BOWEN. 

